


Pumpkin Picasso (and Other Autumnal Outtakes)

by Orimau5, TullyBlue



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Archie is not an artist, Autumn prompt challenge, F/M, Fall Shenanigans, Fluff and Humor, One-Shot Series, Pumpkin carving, Tumblr Prompt, more tags to come, now with art!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 17:36:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12304185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orimau5/pseuds/Orimau5, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TullyBlue/pseuds/TullyBlue
Summary: A thirty prompt challenge starring Bughead, the best season, and a lot of bad jokes.Now starring artwork for each chapter by the lovely Orimau5!





	Pumpkin Picasso (and Other Autumnal Outtakes)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series of one shots based on the Bughead Autumn Prompt Table by @raptorlily over on Tumblr. I couldn't choose just a few, so why not do them all? Started with #23, "jack-o-lanterns."

“What do you mean you’ve never carved a pumpkin?”

Veronica – the shining image of autumnal fashion in a shiny bronze skirt, black sweater, and heeled black boots, sipping a pumpkin spice latte – merely shrugged. “My parents usually threw Halloween parties, but they were more classy historical outfits and five hundred dollar bottles of wine than pumpkin carving and Disney channel movies, B.”

Betty was so sad for Veronica in that moment. Sure, her own parents certainly weren’t winning any awards, but she was able to experience all the classic American holiday traditions growing up in an upper-middle class suburban home. She wondered what else Ronnie had missed out on. Gingerbread houses? Decorating the Christmas tree? Easter egg hunting? Getting up at 5 A.M. to get started on Thanksgiving dinner?

“Don’t worry, V, we'll fix this. You and Archie can come over when Juggy and I carve our pumpkins! It’ll be so much fun. I’ll make cider and pumpkin cupcakes!”

Her friend smiled a bit indulgently. “If you say so. But I’m holding you to the cupcakes.”

 

A week later found all four of them in Betty and Jughead's kitchen.

Archie had a Sharpie between his teeth, both pumpkin guts and cream cheese frosting smeared on his long sleeved Henley, and his third (yes, third) jack-o-lantern attempt in his lap. He was determined to carve the New York Jets logo. However, the overlapping text was harder than he had expected. It didn’t deter him. Betty was glad he had brought his own pumpkins in preparation of the difficult design.

His girlfriend was faring much better. While Ronnie had scrunched her nose up at digging out the insides of her gourd, she seemed to enjoy the carving. It was a little frightening to see just how precisely she sliced into the fruit. Jughead wondered briefly if perhaps Veronica should have been a surgeon, then shuddered at the thought. It was too gory for her and she would have a horrid bedside manner, but she had the precision for it. Her hand steadily carved out the famous _LV_ of her favorite fashion house. She nibbled at a deliciously kept promise/cupcake and chatted with Betty. Archie shot a look at her design (overlapping like his own, though without requiring a fancy maneuvering of keeping a layer of flesh between the two halves of the logo) and sighed heavily.

Betty was also on her third pumpkin. There were two sitting to her right – one depicting the silhouette of an angry cat and the other with cute pattern of crowns. Jughead had rolled his eyes at that before fondly kissing her cheek. Her current work kept it classic, but not too simple. The carving of a snarling face was spiced up with a mouthful of toothpick-teeth and angrily narrowed eyes.

Jughead was working on a masterpiece, plain and simple. It was the largest pumpkin they could find in the field, and a dark, angry orange to boot. He had started working on his own fruit long before the others. Jug had spent the past two hours carefully peeling, stabbing, and slicing into the 27-pound monster pumpkin between his splayed thighs. The image in his head of how fucking cool this would look on their porch kept him going. While he wasn't half as stubborn as his fiancé, Jughead Jones wasn’t a quitter. Besides, he was nearly done. His eyes hurt from squinting at the reference photo on his phone for so long and his fingers had started cramping twenty minutes ago. Briefly, he thought of attempting to preserve his work of art after the holiday. But no, this would be more fitting. Art was fleeting, after all, and his would decay eventually.

“So, Arch, how does it feel to be the world's clumsiest pumpkin carver?” Betty joked.

Archie spit the marker between his teeth at her. “Haha, Betty. Not everyone can finish three in thirty minutes or be Pumpkin Picasso like Juggy.” He stuffed a hand full of seeds into his mouth and glared at his work.

“Don’t worry, babe, you’re just ambitious.” Ronnie pat his back consolingly. She also eyed the two desecrated fruits behind him and sighed.

“So, V, how was your first jack-o-lantern experience?”

With a careful flick of her hair, Ronnie said, “Well. It was messy. And a little frustrating, too. But overall, it was definitely fun. Who knew slicing up a huge squash could be so entertaining?”

“Probably the thousands of people that do it every year,” Jug deadpanned.

Archie, knife in hand, threw his fist in the air. Betty and Veronica flinched back. He smiled sheepishly before lowering the sharp object. “Sorry, guys,” he mumbled. “But! I’m done! What do you think?” With a hopeful grin, he spun the carving around for them to see. It certainly…looked like the Jets logo. Mostly. He had tried to carve the outline of the _NY_ into the flesh of the pumpkin without cutting it out. There were a few places where the knife had sunken too deep. It was also a little crooked. The _Jets_ had fared better; the letters were blocked and therefore easier to scrape into the rind. Sadly, the football at the bottom looked more like an eye. Still – it was much better than his first two attempts.

“A great improvement, Arch! This one is a keeper,” Betty said.

“Totally! I can even read this one.”

Archie laughed, “Thanks, Ronnie, you know how to make a guy feel special.”

“Alright, alright. Time for the master to show you all up. After countless hours pouring over every single detail and toiling away with twelve different carving tools, I’m done. My work of art, my pride and joy, my paragon of pumpkin perfection-"

“Just show us the damn pumpkin, Jones!”

Jughead smirked. “As the lady wishes.” He stood and dusted off his jeans before turning it to face them.

“God, Jughead, why are you and Betty so good at everything? It’s sickening!”

“Whoa, Jug! I can’t even make my letters straight and you’re carving a portrait. It feels like he’s gonna jump out at me. You’ll scare some kids off, for sure.”

“All your hard work paid off, Juggy. It’s fantastic. And so realistic.” Betty tugged on his hand, pulling him down to give him a sound kiss. “I’m proud of you, Pumpkin Picasso.”

“Well, I didn’t spend two and a half hours on this for it to be lame. Wes Craven’s classic horror film doesn’t deserve a half-assed pumpkin. Besides, we live on Elm Street, Betty. Freddy Krueger is a given.”

 


End file.
